Rajasthan travel guide

Discover the delights of this northwest Indian beauty as you read our Rajasthan travel guide and find out how to make the most of your time in this parched, yet perfect, province. If you’ve never been to this area of India before then our Rajasthan map & highlights are bound to come in handy with enough info to get you from the Thar Desert to Ranthambore National Park.

Rajasthan travel guide

Some people say that Rajasthan is like walking onto a movie set. It is, in fact, like walking into a giant movie studio, with lots of different themes, players, props and dialogue. At first it’s surreal, seeing ornate Mughal palaces one minute, desert the next. Ancient pink forts alongside contemporary chic, luxury trains followed by camel trains. Consequently it covers all genres with comedy, dramatic, arthouse and adventurous moments all in a day. You will look on in awe at the temples and multicoloured cities, vibrant markets and elegantly dressed people, feasts and festivals, right up until credits roll.

Arriving into Rajasthan by sleeper train was the perfect way to wake up to all its vibrancy, taking in its verdant hills and rubbing your eyes to make sure that palace wasn't a dream

Our Rajasthan travel guide hopes to share just a few of these worthy credits. If there was an Oscar for locations, Rajasthan would win again and again.

What we rate & what we don't

Underrated

National parks

Famous for Ranthambore, there are other beauties not to be missed in Rajasthan. With far fewer tourists, Keoladeo is an artificial wetland dating back to the 1700s and an ornithological orgy, to use the technical term. And Sariska is home to leopard, jungle cats, hyena, chowsingha and sambar deer and ancient archaeology. And last, but not least, Desert National Park, which protects vast swathes of the Thar.

Going grassroots

The palaces are out of this world, but you can also swap chauffeur for cycle and have one foot firmly planted in the grass roots of Rajasthan when visiting, for example, indigenous Bishnoi desert dwellers, or dining and staying with homestay owners. Tailor made trips in Rajasthan are not all silver and silks; there are plenty of gems to be found in real Rajasthan too.

Desert towns

Regal, colourful cities are what many people seek out, but the desert gateway towns of Jaisalmer and Bikaner are spectacular too. The former is home to an ancient fortified city, constructed of sandstone and so merging magically with the desert landscapes. The latter has fewer tourists but still vibrant with the compulsory fort, camel safaris and two stunning temples: the Jain Bhandasar, and Hindu Lakshminath.

Shekhavati

A region once brimming with aristocrats, the fading glamour of their havelis (mansion houses) are a sight to behold in this desert region. Tumbleweed blows through courtyards boasting stunning murals, colonnades and obsolete opulence. Some are being restored, others are simply there to be photographed and figure out how these places came to be. Check out the eco-glamping gorgeousness at Mandawa too.

Rated

Jodhpur

A colourful stop on Rajasthan’s multicoloured magic carpet, this time blue. The mammoth Mehrangarh Fort oversees the city like a lion overseeing its pride, the ancient, blue houses seeming to worship at its feet. Delve deeper to discover markets bursting with every colour of the rainbow. Jodhpur is also gateway to the Thar Desert where villages are home to contrasting desert dwellers, the Bishnoi and Bhil.

Ranthambore National Park

Bang in the middle of this desert state is a wild array of tropical forest, with ruined temples popping up at sporadic points and the eyes of fauna such as nilgai, sambar, jungle cats and, of course, the great Bengal tiger all watching the goings on in their precious habitats. It is a very special place and somewhere to spend a few days if possible, not just a ‘been there, done that’ scenario.

Heritage hotels

Heritage heaven, Rajasthan boasts some of the world’s most luxurious, but not always astronomical, sleeps. Stay in beautifully restored forts or former Raj’s palaces, boasting fine Rajput or Mughal architecture. Overlook Lake Pichola in a beaux arts palace in Udaipur, a 19th century former home of the Maharaja of Jaipur or a symmetrical beauty in Bikaner. Heritage hotels are places to immerse yourself in class and opulence.

Jaisalmer Fort

The gateway to the great Thar Desert, this sandstone fort looks like it could be washed away in a storm, if there was such a thing. But in fact, this fort, a UNESCO World Heritage Site inside the eponymous ancient city, has stood the test of time since 1156 when it was built by Rajput ruler Rawal Jaisal, after whom it was named. It is now home to hotels, markets and a lot of camels.

Overrated

Pushkar camel fair

It may have been a real working tradition in times gone by, but it is now just a tourist trap, and an animal trap, with camels and elephants being abused, dressed up, made to race and generally whooped up into a frenzy simply to keep tourists happy. Not a happy sight at all. And while we are at it, the Brahma Temple is not great either, with more pushy hawkers than cultural highlights.

Riding elephants

It may seem magnificent but often the animals are severely mistreated in order to perform or conform, with mahouts, or elephant trainers, shackling them or using a bull hook to tame them. The Amber Palace in Jaipur is just horrific for this, with over 150 elephants carrying tourists up and down the hill. Similarly, elephant polo wouldn’t be one of our favourites. Read our ‘Elephants in tourism’ guide for more details.

Disrespecting culture

Especially when it comes to dress sense. For women, in particular, showing bare legs, shoulders and wearing low cut tops are a faux pas. And always cover your head in places of worship. Please also practise responsible photography. Rajasthan is so stunningly beautiful, it is hard to keep the cameras at bay; but always ask before you snap.

Only eyes for a tiger

Sometimes people want to head to the state with the sole mission of seeing a tiger in Ranthambore. And they are extraordinary, but don’t forget there are Asian lions and sloth bears in Rajasthan too – as well as leopard, elephants, buffalo, rhino, monkeys, wolves and a veritable fiesta of birdlife.

FOOD, SHOPPING & PEOPLE

Eating & drinking

A main staple is dal baati chura, lentil dal served with ground wheat and unleavened bread, or baati.

Ker sangria is made by sautéing two desert ingredients, the ker berry and the sangria bean, with a lot of spices.

Onion kachori is deep fried bread full of onion and spices often served for breakfast. Good morning Rajasthan!

The Rajasthani tooth is sweet – check out the mawa kachori nutty pastry of Jodhpur, rasogullas or syrupy dumplings from Bikaner or feni noodles with more syrup found just about everywhere.

I never knew that Nigella was edible until I went to Rajasthan, and discovered this spicy little number infused throughout my mango pickle.

People & language

Hindi is the main language, although Rajasthani is also used throughout the state, particularly among the older generations. ‘Namaste’ is the common Hindi greeting for hello; however ‘Ram, Ram’ is often used in Rajasthan instead. The more formal and traditional ‘Khamaghani’ is Rasjasthani for ‘many greetings’, and is often accompanied by a bow.

Aap keise hain? (Hindi)= How are you?

Dhanyavad (Hindi) = thank you, although not used commonly in India, as kindness is seen as a given. And indeed it is given. Over and over.

Kripya (Hindi) = Please

Gifts & shopping

Check out splendid textiles designed by hand using wooden blocks.

Engraved metal, from brass to silver, jewellery to jewellery boxes is beautifully traditional.

The state’s famous blue pottery, made with quartz is influenced by past Persian artistic styles.

Kites are big in Rajasthan, and you will often find them in the markets. Especially in Jaipur.

Mojris are very typical Rajasthani leather slippers.

In Rajasthan there is an expression “atithi Devo Bhava”, meaning ‘the guest is next to the God’. I would rather reverse the concept and say that, to me, the Rajasthani people were just like angels.

How much does it cost?

Tourist composite ticket to cultural sites of Jaipur: £5

Autorickshaw around Jaipur for a day: £4-£5

Bottle of Rajasthan’s own Bullet beer: £3-4

Glass of milky thandai drink: £0.25 - £0.50

Meal in luxury restaurant: £10

Street food lunch: £1.50-2.50

A brief history of Rajasthan

We travel to Rajasthan for history, and boy, do we get history. About 5,000 years of it, in fact, with Rajasthan relishing its heritage that has seen the ancient Maurya Empire, Rajput clans taking control as early as 700 AD, Mughals stepping in around 1200 AD until their decline in the 18th century, when the Maratha Empire made its mark. It is a complex state, with empires and epics that were lived out in the desert and mountains, leaving palaces and temples which we fawn over today as tourists. Below we skirt over the basics like a trailer for the full Bollywood movie which is, in fact, more like a 20-series box set than a one off tale.Read more

It is really the medieval period of history onwards, around the 8th century that we come across most on our travels around Rajasthan when the Rajput clan maintained power against forces coming from all sides. Up until the 12th century the clan was divided into 36 royal clans and 21 dynasties and the extraordinary forts and palaces of Rajasthan are right royal remnants of this era. A period when Rajasthan was actually known as Rajputana, Rajasthani for “Land of the Rajputs” which, at the time, included present day Rajasthan but also parts of Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and some areas of modern day Pakistan. The state was not named Rajasthan until British colonial times.

The main force to contend with for the Rajputs were the Mughals, Muslim raiders and rulers who started to move into northern India at the beginning of the 8th century, creating the stunning Middle Eastern architectural influence that we still see there today. The modern day language of Urdu (or Hindustani) originates from this period and about 8.5 percent of Rajasthani people are Muslim today. The Rajputs managed to keep the Mughal forces at bay, however, in contrast with other areas of India. This strong sense of independence is still felt in Rajasthan, with its living culture of literature, art, cuisine and music, all still flying the Rajput flag which began during this golden age emanating from the Rajput-Mughal struggles. Forts that were built as part of this struggle include Ranthambore Fort in the eponymous national park, Amber and Jaigarh Forts in Jaipur, Chittaurgarh Fort in Udaipur and of course the daddy of them all in terms of architectural beauty and location, location, location, Jaisalmer Fort in the Thar Desert.

Although many Rajput kings were totally against Islamic rule in Rajasthan, some decided to merge forces, particularly after the defeat of the Rajput Chauhan clan in 1200. One of the major Mughal leaders at this time was Akbar, who was emperor from 1556 until his death in 1605. He made his first big mark on Rajasthan at Chittorgarh Fort, just over 100km from Udaipur and the town of which, Chittor, he made capital having finally seized that from Rajput prince, Raja Uday Singh of Mewar who had founded the city of Udaipur. His capital was eventually moved to Udaipur and remained so until 1818, when it became a British princely state. During Akbar’s rule, and the resistance fought by various Raj princes, it was not uncommon for women loyal to Rajputs to commit mass suicides rather than succumb to Mughal power. They would carry out mass self-immolations, known jauhar. Indeed, Chittorgarh still hosts the biggest Rajput festival, Jauhar Mela. It takes place annually, in February or March, on the anniversary of Rani Padmini's jauhar, and commemorates all three jauhars that took place here. There are processions and remembrance events attended by a huge number of Rajputs which include the descendants of most of the princely. families.

The Hindu Maratha Empire finally ended Mughal rule in India during the Mughal–Maratha Wars of 1680 to 1707 led by Shivaji. The Marathas stayed in power throughout India until they were defeated in the Second Anglo-Maratha War which left the East India Company in control of most of India. Evidence of this wealthy empire is best seen in the magnificent havelis or mansion houses, many of which were built between 1830-1930 when wealthy Marwaris created these elegant homes, bedecked with hand painted murals and boasting two inner courtyards, one for men and one for women. Many can still be seen in the Shekhavati region.

British control of Rajasthan worked under the name Rajputana Agency, in the region then to be named Rajputana Province and, finally, in 1949, Rajasthan when the 19 Rajput states signed a treaty to become so. However, several autonomous ‘princely states’ were also agreed, including Jaipur and Jodhpur, which is why you can still find incredible palaces, boasting wealthy princely heritage in many of them. It is worth noting that the glorious art collections in these palaces, not known to many tourists, are often accessible, and bring it home just how wealthy these places were at one point in history.

Post independence from British colonial rule in 1947, Rajasthan went through various stages of geographical fluidity, with Udaipur joining the state in 1948. Jaipur and the desert kingdoms of Bikaner, Jodhpur and Jaisalmer retained independence, however, until March 1949. At this time, the Maharaja of Jaipur, Man Singh II was made the Rajpramukh of the state and Jaipur became capital of Rajasthan, now the largest state in India. Independence from Raj royalty didn’t come cheap, however, as princes of former kingdoms were handsomely recompensed for handing over their rule, with payments known as privy purses. These were abolished in 1971 by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Today, on your travels, you will notice that many of the former princes still use the title of Maharaja, which continues to hold great sway in terms of status and financial power. Many have created elegant and high end hotels out of their palaces and lands.

When seeking out things to do in Rajasthan, we represent some of the finest tour operators who can either tailor make you a trip or show you some of the most carefully crafted itineraries for travelling in a small group around the state.